Weekly Record

Regular readers of this Column may know that on the first Saturday of every month (unless someone – normally the Director of Music or myself – can think of a pretty good excuse to postpone the meeting) a merry group of us gather together on a Saturday morning (how anti-social is that!) to discuss all the services and events that have taken place in the Cathedral during the past month, and to see how we might have perhaps done better, how well the liturgy and the music worked, how we coped with outside organisations, problems that were overcome and matters that could have been avoided. You get the picture…. The point of the meeting is to continually improve on what we do, what we offer, to learn from our mistakes and to conclude the success of our events and services.

Item 2.13 on our agenda this month is the ‘Visit of the Relics of St Thérèse’. I guess there will be a silence when this item is announced by our Chair, the Dean. What is there to be said? There were negative comments received about how we dealt with the number of pilgrims and visitors and some of us felt a bit squashed, emotional, bruised (literally!) and drained and it was difficult not to take the comments of the minority to heart. However, we must remember that the bigger picture of last week tells a very different story from any such comments. What we have to remember is that it was a success in ways we will never know! It was not a success we can measure and put down in a set of minutes for the Archives, because the life of St Thérèse was a hidden one. We have to believe that she came to speak to the heart of many of those who poured through the Cathedral doors - in a quiet, personal and hidden sort of way. How can we possibly know what burdens felt lighter for many after her visit - we will never know. So we should all be very proud of all that was done to welcome St Thérèse - I just hope she will make sure everyone in heaven knows how warmly she was welcomed in Liverpool, and the work that everyone did to make that happen!

What is remarkable about the life of the Cathedral is that it just goes on! There is not a lot of time to sit around being miserable and emotional, and no sooner where we saying ‘Farewell’ to St Thérèse then we are on to the next round of events. The Flower Arranging Demonstration on Saturday organised by the Cathedral Friends was very well attended – mainly by ladies of a certain age (and I hope they won’t mind me saying that!) – Although I did count 3 men present! They said they had just come for the home made scones but I am not so sure! It was a terribly serious affair I thought, and was nearly turfed out by the Chairman as I kept getting the giggles.

There was no laughter on Tuesday. It was a very sad occasion when we had the Requiem Mass of Jason Dunn-Bridgeman, a 20 year old young man from the 2nd Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. The Cathedral was once again packed and the congregation was made up largely with his young friends. Jason was known as ‘Lion’ to his mates as he was so brave and courageous. We pray for Jason that he is now rewarded with eternal life in heaven and for his family, friends and comrades that they be consoled at this sad time.

This Sunday is the annual Mass for People with Disabilities and it all takes place at 3.00pm. The theme of this year’s Mass is ‘All God’s People’. It is always a colourful, lively and happy event and one that we very much look forward to in our calendar. This is item 3.2 on our agenda and I wonder what we will say about that one!

The Dean having been on his course at Upholland – wonder what is on their agenda - will return next week!

Claire Hanlon
Assistant to the Dean